Alec Baldwin, Lena Dunham, Others React to Woody Allen Accusations

You’re probably aware by now that the New York Times posted an open letter from Woody Allen’s adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow on Saturday alleging that the comedian and director had sexually molested her when he was in a relationship with her mother, Mia Farrow. Allen was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Golden Globes (and is nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category at the Oscars), and a tweet from Dylan’s brother Ronan after the ceremony revived interest in the case. Allen’s camp responded two days ago, calling the article “untrue and disgraceful” and alleged that Dylan had been “coached by her mother Mia Farrow” to make the allegation.

Now, other celebrity reactions are trickling in. Alec Baldwin was the angriest of the lot, sending out tweets condemning those who demanded a response from him. The four tweets have since been deleted, but the content has been preserved in various news stories, and you can read them here:

1. “What the f&@% is wrong w u that u think we all need to b commenting on this family’s personal struggle?”

2. “You are mistaken if you think there is a place for me, or any outsider, in this family’s issue.”

Barbara Walters came to Allen’s defense on The View, saying, “I have rarely seen a father as sensitive, as loving and as caring as Woody is and Soon-Yi to these two girls (referring to the now married couple’s daughters together.) I don’t know about Dylan. I can only tell you what I have seen now.”

This sparked a debate with co-hosts Jenni McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd, the video of which is below:

Cate Blanchett’s response was less controversial, and essentially sidestepped the issue in deference to the family. “It’s obviously been a long and painful situation for the family and I hope they find some resolution and peace,” she said.

Girls creator Lena Dunham was one of the few celebrities to show support for Farrow, tweeting, “Most victims NEVER speak up. Most never feel they can. These are not stories we tell for fun, attention or revenge.”

Perhaps the most bizarre reaction came from author Stephen King, who tweeted, “Boy, I’m stumped on that one. I don’t like to think it’s true, and there’s an element of palpable bitchery there, but…” This sparked inevitable outrage, and King backed off, writing, “Still learning my way around this thing. Mercy, please.”

Ed.- This story has been edited to reflect that Woody Allen was not married to Mia Farrow